The present invention relates to a hollow tubular burning wick produced by forming into a tube a wick body consisting of a burner part and an oil suction part having opposite abutting edges that are secured to each other. More particularly, the invention concerns a stitchless burning wick in which the opposite abutting edges of the burner part and the oil suction part are integrated in a very simple and inexpensive manner by a plurality of channel-like connecting members which are independent from each other, and a holding tape, and having a joint strength which remains high for a long time.
Various structures of burning wick are known, having a burner part and an oil suction part, or if desired also a stretching part.
In one example of the production of a burning wick having a burner part and an oil suction part, a wick body having a burner part and an oil suction part is knitted into a continuous band on a warp knitting machine (e.g. a raschel machine). This wick body is cut to a predetermined length by an appropriate cutter. This wick body thus cut to length is looped to form a hollow tube by abutting the opposite cut end edges, and thereafter, the abutted end edges are stitched together with zigzag stitching parallel to the axial direction of the wick. Such a burning wick is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 52-157535 (No. 157535/1977), Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 51-17038 (No. 17038/1966) and No. 51-44325 (No. 44325/1976).
Also, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 61-246505 (No. 246505/1986) corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,235 and No. 62-66008 (No. 66008/1987) disclose a method of obtaining a hollow tube burning wick without requiring any stitching of the opposite abutting edges, as mentioned above.
However, when the burning wick requires stitching as mentioned above, there are the problems that it is complicated to produce and so becomes high in cost.
Also, when the burning wick does not require stitching, even though it is less expensive, nevertheless another problem arises because, in order to retain the strength of the joint between the opposite abutting edges, it is necessary to use a reinforced joining tape having a large area or a large joining element having a zigzag or checkered shape. Particularly, in the case wherein the burning wick is of a type using such joining elements, the latter will be corroded by fuel, whereby there arise the problems that the opposite abutting edges of the wock body deteriorate in strength and that the wick body loses its function as a burning wick.